On April 30, after 6.5 years of plating up Turkish delights behind the famously retro purple-and-pink frontage of Marie-Louise Salon on Enmore Road, Stanbuli will close. Chef-owner Ibrahim Kasif cites multiple factors for the closure – including, unsurprisingly, the impacts of Covid.

“It wasn’t an easy decision … we just had to weigh out whether to continue, or whether to explore some new options,” a surprisingly chipper Kasif tells Broadsheet. “[We decided] it was time to call it. And it was also sort of Covid-related. We never really recovered from lockdowns. And we just weren’t getting the same numbers through the doors. I think everything that our industry is experiencing right now from staffing through to the consumer, how they’re spending and going out [is having an effect]. We just couldn’t get back into a rhythm … It just added to the fact that maybe it’s time for a bit of a change.”

Until the restaurant closes on April 30, it’ll be serving a set menu of some of its greatest hits – and Kasif says since he made the announcement over the weekend, bookings have skyrocketed.

Stay in the know with our free newsletter. The latest restaurants, must-see exhibitions, style trends, travel spots and more – curated by those who know.

SIGN UP

“When we made the announcement that we’re just going to be opening downstairs and we’re just going to be doing a set menu, we picked up 150 bookings, like that – it was crazy,” he says. “There’s only a couple of spots left. We’re just blown away by it.”

On that menu is the dish Kasif says was the genesis for opening Stanbuli: aromatic mussels stuffed with rice, chilli sauce and lemon, a popular street food in Turkey. “When I opened Stanbuli, I can’t say there were any Turkish restaurants doing stuffed mussels, or putting melon and cheese on a plate,” he says.

“And I remember some of the other Turkish restaurant owners and chefs would come. They were like, ‘Are you crazy?’ I think it’s this mentality that you have to elevate things for the sake of it. And the answer is so obvious for us because the repertoire of Turkish food is just insane. We’ve got so many beautiful dishes that just don’t get showcased in Australia. Stuffed mussels are the perfect example. Just putting melon and cheese on a plate is a perfect example.”

On the closing menu you’ll also find cacik (a cucumber and mint yoghurt dip), fried cauliflower with zhug and tahini sauce, octopus grilled over a wood fire and served with tarama, and a shish platter with lamb and chicken skewers.

“We’re just doing the set menu, which is letting us feed everyone and do the things we love,” says Kasif. “Nothing too left-of-field, things that have been much-loved over the last few years. We’re sticking to the meze and charcoal brief. We want the energy to be high, the tunes are going to be cranking – we’re just going to have fun.”

Stanbuli will close on April 30, 2022.

stanbuli.com.au